The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-06
THE CONGO'S FERTILE LANDS
A New and Very Important Reason for
Discussing Bishop Taylor's Mission.
Fears that Saving of Souls May Be Subor-
dinated to the Money Getting Pursuits AL
ways Present in Civilizations Van.

Special to the Irdisnapolfs Journal.
NEW YORK. Nov. 5.-Bishop Taylor's African
missionary scheme is once more distracting the
minds of the elders Of the Methodist Church in
America A momentous question now agitated
Is whether Bishop Taylor is really a bishop. and
entitled to that dignity, and whether his enter
prise in Africa shall be recognized by the church
and authorized by it. The question whether
Bishop Taylor deserves his title, or holds it by
the proper acknowledgment, is one in which the
general public will rot take vital interest for
khe mans work stands for ITSELF and needs no
recognition in the form of a title from
my body of ecclesiastical authority. But
there is new and commercial reason
For discussion, and that is the
wonderful advantage that the field offers to men
of business instincts. When Bishop Taylor first
proposed, two three years ago. to found mis-
sionary colonies in Africa, he made in his char
Acteristic way. the fundamental features of his
plan the self-supporting scheme by which the
enterprise should not call upon the public for
funds from year to year to keep it going. All
Bishop Taylor asked certain moderate
sum to pay the travelling expenses of the mis-
sionaries to Africa and to pay for their ordinary
OUTFIT and in addition few able-bodied men and
women to go out there and work with them. All
this he got as the result of his surprising
en.rgy and the Unknown zeal of the Method
SITS in PROSECUTING.
Several different bands of missionaries num-
berine from nine to thirty-fve each, have sailed
at different times from America for the Congo;
and by this time many 200 American men
Bad women are at work in Africa at different
points in Bishop Taylors operations. One of
the arguments used by the Bishop when he was
advocating his plan was the which people
now thinking of in a curious way, namely
that the Congo district was of the richest
fields of wealth IN the whole world, ard that with
the most ordinary tools an intelligent man ought
to make his living with ease. and, if he chose.
grow rich No one for moment suspects that
Bishop Taylor had any idea of supporting a COM
rnercial enterprise from the missionary work,
but it is a notorious fact that many missionaries
in the past have neglected their church work in
Africa for the sake of reaping monetary re-
ward from the sale of elephants tusks and from
trading with the natives. The custom that now
Is being considered with half amused and half
serious interest hereabouts is whether in Bishop
Taylor's band there may not be people who have
a mind more for the wonderful opportunities
for wealth and riches in that region than for
Methodism
All the great explorers OF this district includ-
Ing Livingstone and Stanley, have spoken in
the most glowing terms about the remarkable
resources OF the Congo valley; and Stanley has
recently given the most emphatic proof of the
sincerity OF his views CONCERNING the region by
buying up enormous tracts of land in the fertile
portion of the country, so that he stands to-day
a. the greatest landowner in the world con-
sidering the extent of the territory which he
controls. He believes that within his lifetime
this district will become populated by Euro
pean and Americans TO such an extent that the
value of land will rise. and that by selling sec
tions of his holdings he will clear an enormous
fortune Il occurs to many Methodists who
have been asked to contribute the $40 900 for
the building OF Bishop Taylor's steamboat that